Rihanna

Rihanna left Barbados at 17 and, by 2005, was already on American radio with Pon de Replay. In little more than a decade, she turned dancehall, R&B, pop and electronics into a run of singles that defines an era: Umbrella, Only Girl (In the World), We Found Love, Diamonds, Work. Good Girl Gone Bad marked the turn from teen star to commanding figure of global pop.

Why listen to Rihanna?

To follow a Caribbean voice that set the sound of pop for an entire decade.